


Hitting the Nail on the Head

by pxrsephoneofeden



Series: Pills and Nails and Tacs [2]
Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Bipolar Disorder, Child Neglect, Established Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Manic Episode, Medication, Mental Instability, Multi, Panic Attacks, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2019-11-26 17:26:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18183575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pxrsephoneofeden/pseuds/pxrsephoneofeden
Summary: kyoya needs a place to stay for a whileand maybe someone who genuinely cares if he’s doing better than just “surviving”





	1. where’s your reset button?

“Hey.” Kyoya sniffled as he stood in front of Haruhi, as a dribble of warm blood rolled down his upper lip and he shot his hand up to wipe it.

Haruhi stood wide eyed, like a teacher is when one of the students falls off the swing set at recess, and wearing only one of his own oversized t shirts he had given her at some point in the previous three months they’d been romantically involved. He couldn’t even remember where he’d gotten it from to begin with, fuck he was so out of it right now.

“Kyoya! what the hell happened to you?!” She sprung forward and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him into the apartments with her and closing the door behind them. He felt as if he were floating above the floor. He heard her question about thirty seconds after she had actually said it, having heard it and stored it somewhere where the rest of his thoughts were clouding around in front of his blurry eyes. It was then he realized that his glasses were gone, fantastic.

“I’m- I’m good! I’m just- Um, can I stay the night? Shit where’s your dad? I just- I just needed um a- a- Um... fuck what’s that word I can’t think of its um-“ He continued to ramble on, his eyes darting back and forth like he were a cat following a laser pointer.

Haruhi grabbed the sides of his face, and made him stare her in her dark eyes, momentarily bringing him back to reality.

“Kyoya, what happened to you? Why can you not stay at your own house? And why did you come to me specifically.” Haruhi spoke slowly and never broke eye contact, making sure he didn’t miss a single word she said. He was obviously not in a normal or stable state of mind, and while she had no problem with him staying night, she knew his home life was less than fun, and all she truly wanted to know was what exactly had led up to this.

He swallowed hard and shut his eyes, they burned and watered. He pondered to himself when the last time he had really given himself a true moment to blink without another rapid and blinding thought shooting a hearty bullet into his brain.

“My father and i- i cant even- and then he hit me and- i left and then i fell down and-“ As if he were replaying the story to himself, he hung his head down low, eyes shut, and voice weak until he had an animated lightbulb go off in his head, he looked back up at her. 

“My father got very upset at me because of something that will just take... a lot of time to explain to you, and I lashed out because I was really manic because while he was away for two weeks on a trip, and I was alone in the house, my schedule of taking my meds wasn’t... fantastic, to say the least. I punched a wall, there’s a hole now. He slapped me and I fell down, suddenly I couldn’t breath and I tried to look up at him and he just walked away. My nose started pouring blood so I cleaned myself up and then went downstairs and he was there and started yelling about how i’m just like mom and he was drunk- and- and...” His voice choked and he sounded more pitiful than she’d ever seen him, he purses his lips and shook his head, she wrapped her arms around him, standing in her tip toes to embrace him. He breathed raggedly, and swallowed thickly again.

“I just- I just couldn’t stay there right now- My nose wouldn’t stop bleeding and I had nowhere else, I trust you, Haruhi.” His voice was soft and sickly. She hugged him again, rubbing his back and pushing them both down to sit on the couch.

“Just stay here. There’s not another bed, my dad won’t be upset, he’s... understanding with this type of thing. Can I call anyone? Your brothers? Your sister?” She whispered, trying to remain calm but very worried for Kyoya’s well being at home, whether by himself or with his father. He shrugged at her, knowing that not even his sister would be much help at the moment. Fuyumi was out of the country, and his brothers were about as comforting as their father would’ve been had he not been intoxicated.

Haruhi kissed his cheek and made an awkward joke about having their first sleepover together. Kyoya rolled his eyes, regaining a tidbit of his usual personality. The two laid on the couch together watching a cheesy American movie until they both fell asleep, the buzzing static of the old television pulling them like a chaotic white noise. Kyoya held onto Haruhi tightly as if she might disintegrate if he lets go. She didn’t mind one bit.

-

At 2:37 am, Haruhi’s phone buzzing with a text message woke her up, Kyoya didn’t budge, but she had always been a light sleeper. She pried herself from his grip and swung her legs off the couch and onto the ground. She squinted to read the text from her father. She honestly forgot all about that aspect of the night.

~~~~~  
{Dad}: As much as i love Kyoya, i don’t remember saying sleepovers were ok!!! why is his car outside the apartments!!! if you end up pregnant you will kill me!  
~~~~~

Haruhi rolled her eyes at the pregnancy packed ending of the text. She slapped herself for feeling smug imagining her father’s reaction when he realizes the real reason Kyoya’s here. She debated sending a rude text back, but decided that it wasn’t exactly the time to do so. She stepped outside the apartment and waved at her father in the parking lot, who had now discarded his leopard print heels, holding them in one hand, and holding a sizable wad of cash in the other.

Ranka made his way up the steps of the apartments outside and rushed over to his daughter.

“Haruhi, you’d better give me one great excuse for why your boyfriend is here at almost 3am!” He whispered as if he were screaming, avoiding waking neighbors as the walls of this complex were as thin as paper. Haruhi took a deep breath and began explaining the who situation to Ranka. When it was over with, he gasped melodramatically and made a sympathetic “aw!” sound.

Ranka carefully reentered the apartment, but layer off the excessive sound control once Haruhi insisted that Kyoya could sleep through a third world war.

“Thanks for being understanding, I have no clue what we’re gonna do tomorrow, but I really don’t think he should go home. His dad is leaving in a couple days, but honestly, he shouldn’t be alone either if he can’t remember to take care of himself.” Haruhi but her lip, raking her brain for any way out of the pickled they’d been jammed in.

“Nonsense! he’ll stay here!” Ranka exclaimed as he made his way over to the sleeping ravenhaired teen. Haruhi’s eyes widened, and she paused before responding.

“What?!” She exclaimed, raising an eyebrow at her parent. Not that i’m complaining but, Dad, you are feeling alright?”

Ranka replied with a warm smile and sighed, pointed at the passed out teen on his couch.

“I care about him too Haruhi. You’re absolutely right, he can’t go home with that- ugh-that drunken communist of a parent he has, and we definitely know now that him being all alone in that huge house is terrible for him, I mean, even i’d go crazy, and I don’t even take medication!” Ranka drew a blanket over Kyoya and then walked over to his bedroom door. Haruhi nodded and then went back to her own bed. She fell asleep assured that she knew that someone she cared for deeply could always fall back on her, and her dad, for that matter.

-

5am is never a good time to get a phone call. 5am is never a good time to get a phone call when you’ve only had four hours of sleep. 5am is never a good time to get a phone call when you’ve only had four hours of sleep, and the person on the other line is Fuyumi Ootori, who seems to never be affected by her obvious lack of human need for sleep. Haruhi noted that insomnia is most definitely genetic.

“Hey Haru-chan! I called you because I was hoping you could explain something to me! Kyoya sent me a lot of very worrying texts, and I already called Tamaki, but he said he had no clue, and I called my dad and- and um- he wasn’t helpful very much... so i just wanted to know if everyone is ok.” Her voice was calm, but shaky. This was not the first time this had happened. Haruhi’s stone heart chipped off a tiny pebble upon that realization. 

“What um- what we’re the texts saying? Kyoya is with me, he stayed with me last night.” She rubbed her temple and silently thanked god she didn’t have school that day, suddenly thinking of the fact she had no clue how the two were supposed to get there without causing any questions since Kyoya had nothing but a cell phone and car keys with him.

“Ok good! He’s with someone that’s actually smart! Please smack him on the back of the head for worrying us again! Oh wait Oh wait Oh wait! the texts! Sorry! I’ll read them now-“ Fuyumi was always frantic, Haruhi made another mental note of that fact. 

“Ok i’ll just read them in order, he sent a whole string and then didn’t respond. ‘It happened again, please come get me’ ‘i can’t stay here’ ‘fuyumi help me’ ‘come get me’ ‘fuck you’re in sweden’ ‘kill me now’ ‘tamaki has the fucking flu i can’t stay there’ ‘fuckfuckfuck’ ‘the walls are spinning’ ‘i’m not safe’.” Fuyumi’s breath was shaky and low, Haruhi couldn’t breath, she had no idea that it went this deep. Fuyumi’s breathing was heavy, and she shakily asked if Kyoya had his phone with him. Haruhi gave her a weak yes and the two hung up the phone. The words ‘i’m not safe’ rang in Haruhi’s head over and over again.

Just how long has Kyoya been living like this?


	2. i don’t think we’ll ever change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- i’m so sorry i’m awful and never update these things, i’ve been working through a lot of mental health stuff and i just recently found the inspiration for kyoharu again so here we are!!!
> 
> \- this chapter is gonna be a lot happier than the last chapter was, but the conclusion will not be as happy.
> 
> \- if you guys want another drabble trio or some one-shots in this fic’s context/universe please let me know ;3

It had been two weeks since Kyoya had gone back to his home. Ranka called him everyday unbeknownst to Haruhi. They’d ask about his day, ask about how his dates with Haruhi went, and reminded him to sleep and eat etc, thinking that if nobody else is going to, they might as well try and parent this tired boy as well as they could.

Kyoya knew what Ranka was doing, and guiltily it made him a little aggravated. He didn’t need someone constantly checking on him, he was almost an adult and could fully function on his own, just sometimes he doesn’t make great choices. Haruhi would’ve begged to differ if he told her about her father’s persistent phone calls, but he made the mental decision to leave her out of the loop on this particular point.

Taking a quick shower and throwing on some sleep wear, Kyoya scurried down the stairs of his house to get what the Hitachiin twins call his “Most cringey habit” from the kitchen. Holding two twelve packs of ‘La Croix’ he was halted from going back up the stairs by his father.

”First of all, this-“ Yoshio pointed at the sparkling water. “-is sad. Secondly! Do you realize what Saturday is?” Feeling particularly like a smart-ass, Kyoya opted for the funniest answer.

”The 12th?” His Dad swatted the back of his head playfully.

”No! It’s the summer formal the Sato family hosts, and since you have a girlfriend, who just so happens to be well...” Yoshio trailed off his sentence and Kyoya gave a warning look.

”Don't, just don’t.” Kyoya tried to push past him, but he persisted in his blockade of the stairs.

”Kyoya we’ve been through this. I have no problem, I personally like the girl, she’s funny, but she needs to go to the formal with you because at this point, everyone’s knows you’re together and they’re waiting on the reveal.”

”Dear god, dad, you act like we’re Megan and Harry unveiling our interclass royal engagement. We’re seventeen, and I refuse to exploit Haruhi to please these people!” He was getting angry, trying to calm himself he took a deep breath. His dad looked at him and then squinted his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek, knowing he was undeniably the cause of Kyoya picking up the habit of doing that when he thinks as well.

”It’s not about pleasing them. Your siblings wanna meet her in person. Fuyumi’s had one phone call with her and she won’t shut up about how ‘cute’ she sounds-“ Kyoya scoffed at his father’s air quotations of the word ‘cute’, and knew that Fuyumi most definitely wouldn’t leave him alone about inviting Haruhi for the sole purpose of meeting her.

Selfishness wasn’t exactly an Ootori defining trait, but damn if it wasn’t genetic.

”Fine. I’ll ask Haruhi if she wants to go, but! if she’s meeting the fugly four, we’re not doing it in a facility where alcohol is present.”

”Deal. Also, why on the hell do you people still refer to each other as ‘The fugly four’ I thought your mother and I made beautiful children and-“

”Ok dad! I don’t wanna hear this speech again!” Kyoya pushes past his dad and ran up the steps, entering his room and closing the door behind him. 

He walked over to the wall and unplugged his phone from the outlet, going to his contacts and FaceTime calling three people with the names, ‘Dumbass’, ‘Thotass’, and ‘Bitchass. Vulgarity aside, he claims it’s the best way to describe his older siblings.

Once all four look-alikes were present for the group call, Kyoya gave them their ultimatum.

”So you’re using dad against me are you?” Fuyumi busted out laughing and Akito slapped his forehead and muttered an ‘idiots’.

”It’s not using dad against you if it’s for a greater cause!”

”Forcefully meeting my girlfriend is not a great cause, she’s not ready for the mass chaos that is the four of us together at a social function.” As Kyoya was talking Akito scoffed and scratched at his patchy stubble.

”Listen Kyo, we promise to be on our bestest behavior if you let us meet the babe!” He belched at the end of his phrase and a disappointment of silence washed over the four until Yuuichi exclaimed.

”You’re fucking drunk!”

”I am not! Three shots and a beer is not drunk!”

”Lightweight ass mother-“

”This is why you guys aren’t meeting Haruhi.”

Kyoya hung up on the four of them, and it wasn’t five minutes later when Fuyumi texted him a plea.

**Bitchass: we promise not to scare her away. pls let me meet her she sounds like an angel. i just wanna meet her because i think we’ll like her a lot**

**Me: ugh**

**Me: fine**

This should be interesting, he thought.

~~~

Unbeknownst to Kyoya, Fuyumi had told a little white lie. Yes, Haruhi would be meeting the four siblings, but she’d be meeting Fuyumi first.

After saving her number and texting her, explaining she’d keep it incase Kyoya goes manic and ghosts everyone again, she could easily contact someone who would likely know where he was. Haruhi thought it was sweet and a little sad until she realized that Fuyumi had no intention of leaving her alone apart from this purpose of interaction.

Fuyumi texted her almost everyday, as if she were Haruhi’s pen pal. The woman was almost 24, married, and had a toddler at home and most definitely shouldn’t be talking to her brother’s girlfriend all day, but damn, if she wasn’t good at replying to texts fast.

Haruhi found the woman funny, she was crass, sarcastic, and gave her subtle but valuable information about Kyoya that Haruhi knew would be important later on. Fuyumi found Haruhi sweet, intelligent, and a perfectly imperfect fit for her brother. It was her who in fact suggested to her father that Haruhi needed to go to the formal and meet the family, but in all honesty, she just wanted an excuse to see her in person. And maybe make hints about what wedding colors would be good for her and Kyoya when they inevitably get married.

It was almost noon when Haruhi got her first Fuyumi text of the day, and she was a little taken aback by it.

**Fuyumi O. : Hey girlie!!! i have a question for you? are you free today? i am and i’d love to get a coffee with you :)**

**Me: um... yes i’m free. Does kyoya know about this? is he coming**

**Fuyumi O. : haha no he doesn’t know. idgaf about it either, all the subs are dying to meet you and since you’re going to the summer formal i need to give you the scoop on all of us before you get scared off. Luv u see u at 3! <3**

Haruhi was confused and a little concerned. Firstly, Kyoya has mentioned she could go to this formal but only if she wanted to, but Fuyumi made it very clear she had been expected to go. Secondly, scared off? What was so weird about his family they could ‘scare her off’. Thirdly, Fuyumi most definitely did not tell her where they were getting coffee, so this should be fun trying to track her down.

At 3:00pm sharp Haruhi arrived at the swankiest coffee place she could think of and sure enough, Fuyumi was sitting at a table and waving at her furiously when she walked in. ‘I’m getting pretty good at this reading rich people’s minds thing aren’t i?’

Pulling out the chair across from Fuyumi and the table, Haruhi’s nerves finally set in. This woman was eccentric over the phone to say the least, so she had no expectations of what she was in real life apart from Kyoya’s stories about her wild child days as a teenager. The woman’s face was a female version of her father’s, she didn’t have dimples like Kyoya, but they had the same eyes. Her hair was a sharply cut chin length bob of coal black hair, and she was adorned in an all black, expensive looking outfit. If Kyoya were a girl,Haruhi thought, this was it.

”Hey girlie! Wow you’re just what I pictured you to look like! You’re so cute!”

Haruhi didn’t know whether to take that as a compliment or not, as Fuyumi’s voice reminded her of a preschool teacher’s talking about a bashful student, but nonetheless she muttered at ‘thanks I guess’ and ordered a large and highly caffeinated drink to ease her nerves.

”So, firstly, you look just like Kyoya, you guy’s genetics are insane, and secondly, what did you mean by ‘scare me off’ in you text.” Fuyumi chuckled at the girl’s hesitant tone. She cleared her throat and but her tongue to keep from giggling.

”You should just be aware with the fact that, we are truly one of a kind. You’re an only child so you already wouldn’t understand the love-hate between normal siblings, but when it comes to us, let’s just say there’s a lot of business people that think we had each other.”

”Really? Kyoya always talks about how close you guys are, I mean I figured you fought but are you really that dysfunctional?” Haruhi cocked a brow, thinking Kyoya must’ve been trying to cover up even more of his strange family situation.

”No! sweetie we don’t hate each other, we’re just what I would describe as being... a little bit too much when we’re all together. We drink too much, we swear too much, we talk too much shit about everyone else. It’s like having four identical brain cells of one whole idiot.” Fuyumi explained, Haruhi immediately wanted to know more.

The two spent the rest of their dinner/lunch at the quaint but lavish coffee shop by Fuyumi talking Haruhi the more brash stories of the ‘fugly four’ shenanigans. Haruhi laughed so hard she cried when she found out about the time Kyoya locked his brothers out of a hotel room in just towels because one of them accidentally puked on the cat. She was shocked to hear how many times they’d snuck into places without getting caught, and how many times they’d thrown parties at the Ootori mansion right under Yoshio’s nose.

Haruhi excused herself to the bathroom right before they were going to leave and as she was washing her hands she felt her phone bussing in her pocket.

The called I.D showed up as Kyoya and she gleefully answered.

”Hey! Don’t be angry with me, but guess who I just had the most amazing lunch with?”

”My sister perhaps?” He replied immediately, he didn’t sound happy. Haruhi’s demeanor changed as quick as it started.

”Yes... she told you?” 

“No, my dad did. I told her that I wanted to be there if you were to meet everyone I bet she’s made you laugh till milk came out of your nose at all her dumb stories of us being dumb kids hasn’t she?” He wasn’t upset or worried, he was just angry, and Haruhi didn’t even want to know why.

”Listen, just because you might think they’re embarrassing, I’ve learned more stories about you and more cool things about your family than I have in the four months we’ve been together. Your family isn’t going to scare me away Kyoya, it’s going to be you refusing to let me in.”

”I’m not going to be sorry for not wanting you to hear about all the stupid shit we did that couldn’t gotten us arrested. I’m not pushing you away I just want you separated from that.”

”Well consider me shoved into the darkness.” She hung up, she usually wasn’t so irrational but she was hurt. He sounded like he was making excuses. He wasn’t ashamed of his family, he was ashamed of her, his boring, normal girlfriend who could never fit in with his aberrant family.

Haruhi stormed out of the coffee shop without so much as a goodbye. Fuyumi called her brother.

~~~

It was 2:33am when Haruhi’s door was pounded on. She figured it was her dad, but upon opening it stood Kyoya. She wanted to slam it shut but all she did was sigh and say ‘what?’

”If you think I think you’re boring you’re wrong. Look, those stupid stores of me being reckless were entertaining, but there’s more to why I don’t want you at that formal.”

Haruhi tilted her head to the side, she was trying so very hard not to let his messy hair and relaxed voice melt her into forgiveness, but this was a battle she never really seemed to win. 

“Haruhi, the community of Ouran Academy is a different breed of... wealth...than the type at this formal. If you’ve noticed, the rest of the host club doesn’t really get involved into these kinds of events with my families apart from the Suoh’s on a blue moon.”

”Go on.” She turned around and led him inside behind her. The two sat on the sofa with a barrier of ice between them.

”My family and the families my father has associated with are a bit... much. They drink, heavily, like i’m pretty sure i’ve been drinking since I was 12. All those stories of us doing crazy things were all because we, and all the other kids from these families were bored and terribly behaved rich kids depraved of attention.”

Haruhi leaned her head on his shoulder and listened, offering a look of comfort.

”These people, will most definitely go crazy at this formal. The parents, will be in the bathroom well... having fun with something that looks like sugar but is definitely not sugar. I don’t want you to get hurt or feel unsafe because as i’ve gotten older and i’ve separated myself from these things, I see truly how unintelligent it is to get hammered every friday night and wreck havoc with a bunch of kids just so your dad can make a business deal with their dad.”

Haruhi shook her head and smiled. 

“I mean, your siblings seem pretty cool from what I guess I already know, I’ll make you a deal. I won’t go to this raging party I believed was a formal ball, as long as you promise not to spiral at it and let me meet the ‘fugly four’ for dinner.” She tried to make this situation some what less depressing.

No wonder so many people he knew had addiction problems, she thought. It made sense though, in a disturbing way. One rich man’s kids can be the risk taking life of the party animals that entice the other repressed wealthy teens so that they beg their parents to invite them to things. Yoshio was using his kid’s manic behavior to further his own social game. She hated him more and more every day it felt like.

Kyoya kissed her forehead and smiled warmly.

”I swear I won’t do anything stupid ok.” 

~~~

_22 hour later_

Haruhi woke up to her phone ringing louder than she remembered it ringing every other time. She was extremely unnerved when she read the name on her screen as her boyfriend’s.

Kyoya calling her at nearly 1:00am, the night of the formal, after promising not to do something dumb could only mean one thing. She pressed answer.

”This is gonna sound really out of character, but i’ve done something dumb.”


	3. worthless, cursed with too much time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i’m finishing this if it’s the last thing i do
> 
> \- please comment if you want more of these types of series for this au or an au of your own :) i would gladly write pretty much anything for kyoharu

Haruhi didn’t know where to begin to try and analyze what the four siblings might’ve done, but surely it wasn’t as bad as he was making it seem, right?

Throwing on a hoodie and leaving a note for her dad, claiming she was spending time at an old middle school friend’s house, just in case he got home before her, she scurried out the door while trying to coerce Kyoya to tell her what exactly had happened.

”Just tell me the address. I just want to make sure you’re ok!” He hastily replied by telling her to hold on a second whilst a picture he’d sent went through to her phone. 

_ding ding_

 Haruhi hastily clicked on the message from Kyoya and opened the image. She was...confused to say the least.

Re-dialing his phone number and shaking her head at the ground, Haruhi sucked in a sharp, cold breath of air.

”You put a fuckton of soap in someone’s swimming pool?”

“In my defense... i’ve done much worse for less.”

~

As he got older and older, Kyoya hated going to certain people’s houses. This family was definitely one of those houses.

The head of the household had gone through three divorces in a twenty year span, and only had two less than wonderful twin daughters to show for it.

His dad bought him and expensive tux, told him to make sure everyone was having fun, and made the sky comment that, “since you’ve refused to let Haruhi come, you might as well be single for this formal.”

Fuyumi showed obvious annoyance with her father after he made this comment, Kyoya’s brothers could only scoff at their father. 

Once the five of them arrived at the house, the party was just getting started. People were just starting to arrive, which meant Kyoya had to pretend like he was happy to see all the coked up, over privileged families. He was suddenly grateful for the flask of ‘something strong’ he and his brother chugged before getting in the car.

Kyoya had known them his whole life, and it wasn’t until they went to separate schools, Kyoya stopped enjoying doing dumb drunken stunts at parties, and his mom passed away, for him to realize how awful they actually were.

Loud, wasted, and very overly touchy, the twins were pretty much unable to be coerced into behaving properly by 10pm. Kyoya sighed as he watched the girls, along with ten other adolescents, chug expensive wine and stumble around a basement that smelled like cheap perfume. He’d texted Akito several times to rescue him, but to no avail, as his other siblings had moved on to having to entertain the “adult” children of these rich families, leaving him alone in the sweaty basement, being only somewhat sober.

He thought of Haruhi and how different she was from one of the twins, who was currently trying to pull him upstairs, and up to her room. He opted to rip her arms away disgustedly, as she seemed about appealing as the stale, yellow alcohol she was carrying in a clear plastic cup.

”Hey, Kira, i’ve told you twice now, not interested.” He tried to keep his cool, but a guy he might’ve spoken to twice in his life slaps him on the back and laughs obnoxiously, interrupting him.

”C'mon! Loosen up! We’re only gonna be this young and able to do this shit for a few more years until college!” Another girl agrees with the guy, and he wrapped an uncontrolled arm around Kyoya’s shoulders. Kira, the lecherous twin, grabbed his chin and started to laugh innocently.

”Guys leave him alone! he’s just afraid of having fun ever since his mom died!” The room erupted in laughter, and he could no longer fake a smile. Ducking under the gruff guy’s slippery arm and bolted up the stairs and slipped out of the back door of the house, and wandered the garden.

He kicked at the extremely well manicured shrubs surrounding the mansion. His face felt hot and he didn’t even know he was upset until a hand on his shoulder made him break his trance, he’d been desecrating a shrub for about ten minutes. Fuyumi had seen enough.

”Why are you out here?” He asked as he relaxed his tense, defensive rise his shoulders had taken before he realized it was Fuyumi.

”One of those bitches made some snarky comment about Ana not being sleep trained yet. Hell, she’s three and gets scared easily, it’s not a big deal!” She threw her hands up in the air and Kyoya took notice that she’d been crying. Fuyumi didn’t get upset about much, but talking about her kid was the one sure fire way to make her shit-list.

”Can we just leave? I feel like i’ve been pulled through a tornado. God I mean I had to walk out because I was gonna punch someone!”

”Jesus! Why?”

”It’s not important, they just... made a comment about mom and I lost it.”

Fuyumi rolled her eyes and gave the door  leading back into the house a quick peek.

”Yuuichi and Akito are currently hiding upstairs because, well, they hate people... wanna cause a little trouble.”

Kyoya pursed his lips and bit the inside of his mouth, Haruhi couldn’t tell him it was stupid if they didn’t get caught, right?

~

Haruhi didn’t know where to begin with her thoughts as she stood in front of an ocean sized swimming pool, currently filled with highly fragrant foam on a massive, still growing, top layer.

”It’s not our best work, but it gets a message across.” Akito said smugly and Fuyumi shook her head at him, disappointedly.

Haruhi couldn’t help but laugh, Kyoya felt a little afraid.

”I’m just glad none of you are arrested, or in the emergency room.” She chuckled and scooped up a handful of the foam. “I mean... where did you get this much soap!” Kyoya took a step back, inside of whether she’s lost her mind, or he was still a little drunk. 

“Oh, girlie, please don’t be mad at my brother. It wasn’t his idea, it was mine.” Fuyumi hugged her and started to whisper.

”I just said it, i’m not mad, i’m just a little shocked is all!” Haruhi wiped the soap on her hands onto her hoodie, and Kyoya walked over to her and smiled appreciatively. Haruhi smiled back, and recognized that look.

He didn’t ever give her that look unless he was really tired, or if he’d been really upset and just needed someone he trusted with him.

He kissed her forehead and immediately Yuuichi and Akito started making overly enthused whistles.

Kyoya shot them a playful eye roll and Fuyumi made the suggestion that they ought to grab a taxi and head out before someone realizes that the pool is filled with soap, and all members of the Ootori family under 35 are gone.

The three eldest siblings piled into a car, Kyoya stood back and reassured them he was fine riding back with Haruhi. Fuyumi shrugged her shoulders and closed the car door. Before the pair could walk away however, Akito rolled down a window and yelled out,

”Use protection kiddies!” blowing his brother and kiss, he dove back into the car, laughter coming from the inside. Haruhi blushed and covered her face in her hands, Kyoya shot the moving taxi a middle finger.

~

”So... tell me again why it was a bad idea for me to meet these people again?” Haruhi laughed as Kyoya rubbed his temples.

”I don’t even remember, it probably had something to do with the fact that my siblings are like if Tequila were a person.”

The two laughed and spent most of the drive away from house in peaceful silence. Kyoya watched as the lights emitting from the grandiose house got smaller and smaller. He fought back a grin at the thought of Kira flipping her lid upon the realization her pool had been filled up with cheap dollar store bubble bath that smelled so strongly of cake icing it was almost sickening.

Haruhi and Kyoya got back to her apartment at nearly 3am. He asked if he should just head home, as Ranka acceptance was one of the only things he had going for him, to which she merely replied.

”I mean... we can always sneak you out through a window...you’re used to being bad, right?” She winked and opened the door. He smirked and made a quick check of the parking lot to see if Ranka’s car still wasn’t there. 

As the bedroom door closed behind them, he smirked, thinking of the irony of his older brother’s comment as they were driving away.

~

”I liked her.” Akito nodded his head up and down, looking for agreement amongst the siblings. Fuyumi smiles big as she absentmindedly picked at her shiny black nail polish.

”She’s great isn’t she? She doesn’t take shit from anyone and that’s why she’ll be good for him.” Yuuichi chuckled whilst he sent a text from his phone. When he ticked it back into his pants Fuyumi gave him a knowing look.

”Theres good news and bad news.” He said, fighting back laughter.

”The good news?”

”Dad doesn’t care that we left.”

”The bad?”

”He just sent me a message that said, ‘You’ve all stooped down to a new level.’ So i’m guess he knows about the pool.”

The taxi exploded with laughter, and Fuyumi made a mental note to remember to make sure Kyoya avoided Yoshio for a little bit until he gets over the pool incident.


End file.
